In sports, the ‘off-season’ is considered a time for athletes to recover mentally and physically. To relate, we have reached what many consider the off-season of real estate.
In addition to spending time with loved ones and friends, this ‘off’ time can prove to be just as, if not more-so, important to your success in 2017. Planning is critical! It is during this time that we can exercise another side of our brains and tap into a different skillset to prepare for the busy season sure to come.
How can REALTORS® leverage this time to their advantage?
1) Research
Throughout the busy selling season, the process of assisting clients with the sale or purchase of a home can be exhausting, leaving little time to read about trends, market statistics, economic changes on the horizon, etc.
With listing and showing activity slowing, take some time to acquire knowledge that you never considered. There is an infinite amount of resources available to REALTORS®, and many are quick reads that have the potential to spark an idea or change one’s perspective.
One recent publication from Zillow contains a lot of interesting information pertaining to consumer trends in 2016. The report discusses characteristics of today’s home buyers, sellers and owners, and may provide REALTORS® a different viewpoint as to consumer behaviors, and how to best communicate and engage with those consumers. The report is free, and may be accessed or downloaded by clicking here.
Realtor.com® also produced their own National Housing Forecast for 2017. Click here to access the full report, and here to read key takeaways and suggestions for agent success.
Below are some additional honorable mentions that may spark something that totally changes your business in 2017;
RE Technology – accessed through Flexmls under ‘Products,’ RE Technology provides in-depth information regarding hundreds of new and exciting or tried and true technology products, from CMA’s, CRM’s, IDX websites, etc.
Houselogic – an NAR resource, Houselogic has a wealth of information, including content covering home improvement, maintenance, taxes, finance, insurance, and even ways to get involved in and enrich communities.
2) Learn
When in the thick of transacting business, there are probably some go-to tools or resources you access daily or weekly. Perhaps there are some tools that you have not considered trying because they may take some time to learn. Maybe you simply do not have a use for them. Whatever the case may be, you will never know if you do not try.
Trying to use a new product or service, especially those offered as member benefits exclusively to SWMLS subscribers, may lead to a whole new world of discovery in 2017. By keeping the products you already use, while supplementing reports or information from a new resource, it can be a total game-changer!
Even better, every resource in Flexmls under the ‘Products’ tab, in addition to Flex itself, has help and tutorial sections to guide you through the functionalities unique each product. For your consideration, take a few of the following on a test-drive by accessing thorugh Flexmls and see how they handle!
- REALTORS® Property Resource (RPR)
- Find
- ShowingTime
- Infosparks (MarketStats)
- ListTrac
3) Establish Goals
We have all heard the adage ‘the sky’s the limit.’ Setting broad, far-reaching goals has its place, and we should all continue to strive to reach our full potential, only to reach the glass ceiling and break through. We also know that life is not a sprint, but rather, a marathon. Reaching and hoping for the ultimate victory, and never taking notice of the small victories along the way, could result in frustration, both personally and professionally. Below are some insightful methods to developing your own goals for 2017 and beyond.
Reflect
There is an art to setting goals. It is a very personal thing, and takes one’s ability to evaluate, reflect on and visualize their hopes, aspirations and overall happiness to develop a baseline to work from.
Take an objective look at where you are and where you want to be. Write down your progress as you conquer even the smallest, most trivial tasks. These are, at times, the most important that are often overlooked.
Dream
You are human, and, therefore, have an inherent and brilliant desire to achieve more. Dare to dream, and do not feel ashamed for doing so. Ask yourself these questions;
What would you like to do for fun? What puts your senses in a state of bliss? What would you do if you were guaranteed to succeed?
Be bold, foolish, even irrational. Ensure to write them down, prioritize them, and determine the actions you would take to achieve them. The goals you then develop to achieve you dreams will be more specific.
Define
An article from Success.com explains the acronym ‘S.M.A.R.T.,’ which represents specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-sensitive.
Goals are not simply vague desires towards ambiguous results. Set goals that you can define what it is and measure the success. Ensure that the goals are attainable and within-reach, and attach a timeframe to it so that each goal has an end. Accomplishing a goal, small or large, gives the fulfillment of success and the adrenaline needed to push to the next goal.
Support
Talk about your dreams and goals with a colleague, family member or friend. Not only will they also share their dreams and goals with you, but it will also give a sense of accountability. They may even be able to provide suggestions or resources to help you along your journey, and sharing that journey with someone you mutually respect, admire and care about makes it even more possible.
Take some time this holiday season to reflect on all you have accomplished this year, as well as to enjoy time with loved ones and friends. This is the time to recharge your physical and mental batteries. When ready, give some thought to where you would like to be this time next year, and develop a game-plan to get there!
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